Brussels remains the hub of public affairs, according to a first-of-its-kind study into the state of EU lobbying.

In a comprehensive analysis of how companies approach public affairs management, the Public Affairs Council last year surveyed a pool of organisations which range from enterprises with a worldwide turnover of less than €10 million to firms that bring in hundreds of billions.

The sample size was enough to show that 61% of companies base their public affairs office in Belgium and that the most popular use of contractors is to directly lobby the EU institutions.

Only 16% of those companies are actually headquartered in Belgium, while just over a third of them are US-based.

After two years of intense horse-trading, MEPs approved on Tuesday (13 December) a set of reforms to make the European Parliament more efficient and transparent, but limited the scope of banning second jobs to those who actually influence decision-making.

While half of the respondents said they had little to no budget for public affairs, those that did said that a quarter of it goes on hiring contractors to promote their interests. Trade associations are the go-to means of advancing the agenda.

When asked what problems face the profession, the issues of transparency and the confusion caused by the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU were the most often cited factors.

The survey also revealed that companies are concerned by the often negative stigma that lobbying carries and actually conveying internally the value of it to their business.

In terms of CEO involvement, there was a mixed bag of responses. Some 20% of respondents said that their head honchos had “extensive” involvement in European government activities.

Businesses are exerting massive pressure on the Trade in Services Agreement negotiations and the European Commission is all too willing to listen, according to a report by LobbyControl. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Two-thirds of CEOs have involvement to some extent, but a significant one-third said that there was zero participation in public affairs.

An overwhelming 40% of the organisations were from the manufacturing sector, but the other companies surveyed came from a wide range of fields, including finance, healthcare, retail and transportation.

In a boost to the art that is lobbying, over half said that their allocation of staff to public affairs had remained steady with a further quarter saying that it had increased slightly.

The European Parliament has indefinitely postponed a vote on an initiative that was meant to bring clarity to MEPs’ side activities and rein in lobbyists. But no one wants to shoulder the blame. EURACTIV Germany reports.

EURACTIV's editorial content is independent from the views of our sponsors.

Media is a pillar of democracy – as long as it can function properly. Now more than ever we need unbiased, expert information on how and why the European Union functions. This information should not be behind a paywall, and we remain committed to providing our content for free.

We know our readers value our reporting. We know journalism that covers the EU in a clear, unbiased way is critical to the future of the European Union. And we know your support is critical for ensuring this independent and free journalism.

Don’t take the media sector for granted. It was already fragile before the coronavirus pandemic. And as people can’t meet, media companies have lost a major source of revenue: events. EURACTIV is supported by a mix of revenue streams including sponsorships, online advertising, EU-funded projects, and policy debates. All of these sources of revenue are impacted by the current crisis.

While media struggles, disinformation thrives. We are already seeing fearmongering, fake news about the EU response, and increased threats to freedom of the press.

For more than two decades we have provided free, independent, multilingual reporting on the European Union. We continue to believe in Europe, and we hope you do too.

Your financial support at this critical time will allow our network of newsrooms across Europe to continue their work when Europe needs it most.

Contribute to our reporting

The need for fast, accurate and balanced information is always important. We value EURACTIV's good, independent journalism and support this initiative

Mella Frewen, Director General of FoodDrinkEurope

EURACTIV plays a vital role in bringing Europe closer to its citizens. EURACTIV has long recognised that the story of Europe has to be told across the continent, and not just in Brussels. We need to support a truly European and informed debate.